Environmental Monitoring System for RCHS

This project aimed to improve environmental monitoring at the Rice County Historical Society (RCHS), encompassing seven buildings. This grant helped establish a monitoring system and purchase equipment to understand the effect of the environment on the collection. Multiple loggers' brands were considered using the criteria spelled out in the National Park Service’s Conserv O Gram on selecting dataloggers (No. 3/3).

Dataloggers are easy to use and quick to set up to take regular measurements of temperature and relative humidity. While placing the dataloggers, it quickly became apparent that documentation was required to ensure staff and volunteers could locate and replace them in the correct positions. An Environmental Monitoring Manual was written that included background, maps, and instructions on operating the dataloggers. Using the data gathered, RCHS has begun to create a plan of next steps for managing the collections and facilities.